What should you do if you are worried about you own driving fitness or the ability of a close friend or relative to be a safe driver? We have all heard stories of people who were injured or killed by a driver who should "not have been on the road".

As a parent you do your best to protect your children. They eat their veggies, get plenty of rest and wear a helmet when they ride their bicycle. But what about protecting their eyes?

Now that your kids are out of school for the summer, they will be taking part in a wide range of sports and outdoor activities. Eye injuries can be devastating. Basketball, for instance, is one of the leading causes of injuries because of blows from fingers and elbows.

As well as abrasions of the cornea, sports injuries can include internal bleeding and retinal detachments which can lead to serious vision loss. Patients who have sustained eye injuries are also at a greater risk for developing glaucoma at some point in their life.

Eyeglass lenses made from polycarbonate materials provide the greatest level of impact protection and can withstand shattering or cracking when hit by a ball or other projectile traveling at high speeds.

Properly fitted protective eye wear won’t hurt athletic performance and may save your child’s sight. Even if the school or sports league doesn’t require eye protection, parents need to ensure their children wear eye protection at all times.

Parents – don’t slow your children down. Instead, help them understand the importance of eye safety while they dribble, pitch, swing, kick or spike. They can have fun and stay safe!

Summer time, any time

Summer break is the perfect time to bring your children in for a thorough eye examination. It’s never too early. Even if your child doesn’t display any signs of vision trouble, the Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends infants have their first eye exam by the end of their first year, and toddlers by age three. Early diagnosis of a vision development disorder will allow for early intervention.

Book your annual eye exam with a Doctor of Optometry ateye-bar optical in Sherwood Park Today.

This article is courtesy of Eye Recommend: eye-bar optometrists, opticians & eyewear specialists is a member of Eye Recommend, Canada's Vision Care Professionals, helping doctors help their patients since 1997. We are proud to be able to help Canadians attain optimal eye health.

Why do I have to go
to the Royal Alex Hospital after seeing my eye doctor?

Your optometrist is qualified to handle the majority of eye care
conditions that may arise during a routine eye health exam or emergency eye exam
situation. In some eye conditions however, more advance eye care or medical
care may be warranted. Some eye findings are simply warming sings of more
serious underlying health issues that need to be addressed in order to resolve
the visual symptoms you may be experiencing.

Like your family physician, your optometrists can help to
coordinate the appropriate eye care required by the most appropriate health
care provider. Occasionally, this may be an ophthalmologist that specializes in
certain surgical procedures or specific eye diseases.

Why the Royal Alex Hospital? The Royal Alex Hospital is considered
the home of ophthalmology in Edmonton and most local ophthalmologist work
regular clinic shifts within the eye clinic. Typically, patients must be
referred into the Royal Alex Hospital eye care unit by an optometrist, family
physician or emergency room physician. These referrals are reserved for urgent
eye care needs only and not routine eye health examinations.

If your eye condition is less urgent, and you are still
wondering why you were referred to the Royal Alex Hospital. It’s probably
because many specialized ophthalmologists have their full time clinics
stationed at Royal Alex Hospital and your appointment may simply be with one of
them.

FYI: If you ever have any questions or concerns about where
one of our optometrist refers you to, please do not hesitate to contact the
office. Your optometrist will be happy to explain the reason behind the
decision and can make any necessary changes to the appointment when possible.

Whether you're running at top speed and catching a football, or precisely aiming a golf shot, knowing which eye is dominant will help you in any sport.

An athlete can interpret fast action and achieve better head and eye positioning by knowing which eye is dominant. A dominant eye can process visual information more accurately than the non-dominant eye.

Quick Test for Eye Dominance

Use both hands to form a small triangle between the thumbs and first knuckles of your forefingers. With both eyes open and your arms outstretched, move your "triangle" until you have a distant object such as a light switch within the center. Shut your left eye. If the object stays centered, you are right-eye dominant. If the object moves out-of-center, you are left-eye dominant. Interestingly, eye-dominance is not related to if you are right-handed or left-handed.

We came across this 1966 advertisement from Better Vision Institute and had to share it! The vintage eyewear styles that are popular now deserve vintage advertising to go with it. Sure, lens and eye exam technology has changed since the 1960s, but the message still holds true today: everyone needs an eye exam every year.

A stye (also known as a hordeolum) is an inflamed/infected tear gland on the upper or lower eyelid which causes pain, redness and swelling. It typically doesn't affect vision unless the eyelid is swollen to the point where it obscures vision.

Styes are caused by bacteria very common in the body and isn't considered contagious except through direct contact. Treatment is usually a mild antibiotic ointment a 2-3 times per day and warm compresses twice per day for a few days. After this time it will come to a head and drain on its own. Never attempt to drain or "pop" a stye as it can cause serious damage to the eyelids and surrounding tissue and can occasionally cause the infection to go deeper into the tissues. Recurrent styes can indicate chronically clogged tear glands and lid scrubs can greatly aid in reducing the frequency of styes.

Expectant mothers have often been told that their vision may change during pregnancy and that they should put off seeing their optometrist until after delivery. But nine months is a long time to go without seeing properly (and dangerous)!

In general, most women experience minimal to no visual symptoms throughout their pregnancy. Common minor vision changes include: dry eye symptoms, contact lens intolerance, difficulty focusing or reading for extended periods, or a change in one's eyeglass prescription. These prescription changes are usually the result of cornea edema (thickening) caused by normal fluid retention during pregnancy, and may reverse post pregnancy or can become permanent. Depending on the severity of your symptoms or vision changes, you may want to talk with your optometrist about treatment options or about updating your eyeglasses.

More serious visual problems that should never be ignored include: blurred vision, halos around lights, headaches, neck pain, changes in colour perception, or distorted vision. Should you ever experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to see your optometrist as soon as possible and call your doctor. If you feel it is an emergency, then proceed directly to the hospital. These symptoms may be secondary to preeclampsia, which is a potentially serious condition caused by an elevation in blood pressure. These symptoms may also be related to a less serious medical condition called central serious chorioretinopathy, which is an inflammation of the central retina.

Special consideration should also be given to mothers with diabetes, as they require vision care throughout the duration of their pregnancy. It’s recommended that any mothers with diabetes receive a thorough dilated eye exam prior to conceiving as well as monthly to bi-monthly eye exams throughout the course of their pregnancy, depending on how well controlled her blood sugars are. These eye examinations are used to monitor visual fluctuations along with diabetic retinopathy.